If you spend more than four hours a day in front of a 15-inch monitor, consider moving up to a 17-inch monitor with better resolution. The higher resolution will increase your viewing real estate, and the larger screen will make the images larger, so you'll be able to see those additional spreadsheet cells. A high-refresh rate reduces flicker and will be easier on your eyes. We tested 44 17-inch monitors. Prices ranged from $659 to $1299.
About one-half of the 17-inch monitors have maximum noninterlaced resolutions of 1280 by 1024 pixels. Most of the others support higher noninterlaced resolutions (1600 by 1200 or 1600 by 1280 pixels). The exceptions are the NEC, Radius, and Panasonic units, which are limited to a maximum resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. We believe
that 1024- by 768-pixel resolution on a 17-inch monitor provides excellent viewing. As the resolution increases, text and objects get smaller, so you would need to be sharp-eyed to enjoy working at resolutions of 1280 by 1024 pixels or higher on this size screen.
All monitors except two are Energy Star recipients and all but eight provide internal power management systems. All meet Sweden's MPR-II standards for VDT emissions. Several carry FCC Class A ratings and are not recommended for home use; they may cause interference with TV reception.
Controls range from basic contrast and brightness to more sophisticated features such as degauss and side convergence, or pincushioning. On most, you can adjust the color to some extent. Sixteen of the monitors provide on-screen menus for image adjustments. All but four monitors support at least one Macintosh mode.
Warranty and support policies often separate major monitor manufacturers from second- and third-tier vendors. Make sure you understand t
he service policies before you purchase a monitor.
The Best Overall winner, the
NEC MultiSync XE17
, is Microsoft Plug-and-Play-compatible. This means that a Plug and Play computer system can communicate with the XE17 to identify available setup options that both devices support. A list of optimal configuration options pops up, and the drivers will be included in the operating system--you don't need to install them. The XE17 offers excellent contrast, but its overall display-quality score is only slightly above average, due to its relatively low distortion index. An efficient internal power management system, coupled with above-average features and excellent usability propelled this unit to the number-one rating.
Two Nanao models placed among the top in the 17-inch category. The
FlexScan T2-17
($1299) uses a Sony picture tube, and it excelled in the DisplayMate image-quality test. The
FlexScan F560i-W
($1279) uses a Toshiba picture tube, offers a
bove-average image quality, provides higher contrast, and exhibits less distortion than the FlexScan T2-17. The FlexScan F560i-W's front control panel is more sophisticated than the FlexScan T2-17's. However, you can access the FlexScan T2-17's advanced features using an on-screen menu. The two 17-inch Nanao monitors offer superb features and above-average usability--they should, considering their price tags.
The
Samtron SC-728SXL
ranks third overall and earned the best overall image-quality rating. This unit was practically free from misconvergence, and only four other monitors received a better power rating.
Both
CTX International 1785GM and the 1765GM
monitors placed well in the 17-inch class. The 1785GM exhibits an extremely sharp Hitachi display with a .26-mm dot pitch. The 1765GM offers better contrast and exhibits less misconvergence with its .27-mm dot-pitch Matsushita picture tube. The stylish monitors look identical from the front.
The
Sony Multiscan 17se
is second only to the Samtron SC-728SXL in our High Quality category. Sony's Trinitron display technology produces vibrant, fully saturated colors. The Multiscan 17se's three factory preset color modes and one user-adjustable color mode let you adjust on-screen colors to match printouts.
Weighting for Best Overall
DISPLAY 40%
Sharpness 40%
Legibility 30%
Convergence 20%
Contrast 10%
OVERALL FEATURES 40%
Quality 20%
Features 20%
Usability 20%
POWER CONSUMPTION 15%
DISTORTION 5%
Weighting for High Quality
DISPLAY 40%
Sharpness 40%
Legibility 30%
Convergence 20%
Contrast 10%
IMAGE QUALITY 45%
DISTORTION 10%
NEW AND IMPROVED FROM NEC
BEST OVERALL: NEC MultiSync XE17
NEC has always produced high-quality monitors, and the MultiSync
XE17is no exception. When connected to a Plug and Play system, it
nego-tiates an optimal configuration and offers that as the default
setting. Its power management conforms to the VESA DPMS (Display
Power Management Signaling) method. Front-panel buttons let you
easily navigate through on-screen menus and adjust control settings.
The color accuracy of the monitor can also be customized. NEC uses a
flat-screen CRT, and its multilayered screen coating reduces glare
and contributes to an excellent screen-contrast rating. The monitor
received an excellent usability rating, due in part to its superb
documentation.
OVERALL QUALITY FEATURES DOT
PRICE SCORE INDEX SCORE PITCH
BEST NEC MultiSync XE17 $1060 **** **** **** .28
RUNNER-UP Nanao FlexScan T2-1
7 $1299 **** **** **** .25
RUNNER-UP Samtron SC-728SXL $850 **** **** *** .28
RUNNER-UP CTX 1785GM $1049 **** **** **** .26
RUNNER-UP Samsung SyncMaster 17GL $849 **** **** *** .28
RUNNER-UP IBM 17P $1260 **** **** **** .26
MAXIMUM MAXIMUM 832x624
DISPLAY RESOLUTION OR HIGHER
AREA (MM) NONINTERLACED MAC SUPPORT
BEST NEC MultiSync XE17 316x237 1024x768 x
RUNNER-UP Nanao FlexScan T2-17 328x242 1600x1200 x
RUNNER-UP Samtron SC-728SXL 320x240 1280x1024 x
RUNNER-UP CTX 1785GM 325x225 1600x1280 x
RUNNER-UP Samsung SyncMaster 17GL 320x240 1280x1024 x
RUNNER-UP IBM 17P 315x235 1600x1200 x
Key
Excellent ****
Good ***
Fair **
Poor *
A REMARKABLE IMAGE FROM SAMTRON
HIGH QUALITY: Samtron SC-728SXL
The Samtron's high quality ranking is due mainly to its excellent
performance in the convergence test. The unit's average was only .02
mm (the Philips and MegaImage models were its closest competitors at
.029 mm). The Samtron features antistatic CRT coating, flat-screen
CRT technology, and above-average contrast. Although it employs
dynamic focusing, its image sharpness was only average. And it
performed below the norm in the legibility test. The Script font was
not legible below 14 points (13 points was the average for 17-inch
monitors), and the Times Roman and Arial fonts were not readable when
their point size was smaller than six (the average being five points).
OVERALL QUALITY FEATURES DOT
PRICE SCORE INDEX SCORE PITCH
BEST Samtron SC-728SXL $850 **** **** ***
.28
RUNNER-UP Sony Multiscan 17se $1250 *** **** *** .25
RUNNER-UP Dyna Micro MON-172GLR $699 *** **** *** .28
RUNNER-UP CTX 1765GM $999 *** **** *** .27
RUNNER-UP Megatron MegaImage $679 *** **** *** .28
RUNNER-UP ADI MicroScan 5EP $769 *** **** ** .28
MAXIMUM MAXIMUM 832x624
DISPLAY RESOLUTION OR HIGHER
AREA (MM) NONINTERLACED MAC SUPPORT
BEST Samtron SC-728SXL 320x240 1280x1024 x
RUNNER-UP Sony Multiscan 17se 300x225 1600x1200 x
RUNNER-UP Dyna Micro MON-172GLR 300x225 1280x1024
RUNNER-UP CTX 1765GM 325x245 1280x1024 x
RUNNER-UP Megatron MegaImage 300x225 1280x1024 x
RUNNER-UP ADI MicroScan 5EP 320x240 1280x1024
Key
Excellent ****
Good ***
Fair **
P
oor *
LOW COST, LOW POWER, HIGH QUALITY
LOW COST (UNDER $800): ADI MicroScan 5EP
With its $769 MSRP, the ADI MicroScan 5EP finished as our Low Cost
winner. It offers higher contrast and produced a lower distortion
index than that of the Samtron SC-728SXL. The MicroScan 5EP's power
rating indicates the efficiency of the system's internal power
management system; however, its .28-mm dot pitch, lower-than-average
number of user-definable modes (only eight), and lack of an on-screen
menu adversely affected its features rating. Digital contrast and
brightness controls are located on the front of the unit; more
sophisticated controls (i.e., horizontal phase and width, vertical
size and shift, and degauss) are located behind a protective cover.
OVERALL QUALITY FEATURES DOT
PRICE SCORE INDEX SCORE PITCH
BEST ADI MicroScan 5EP $769 *** ***
* ** .28
RUNNER-UP Orchestra Tuba-II $795 *** **** **** .26
RUNNER-UP Megatron MegaImage $679 *** **** *** .28
RUNNER-UP NSA Hitachi Super 17s $795 *** **** *** .26
MAXIMUM MAXIMUM 832x624
DISPLAY RESOLUTION OR HIGHER
AREA (MM) NONINTERLACED MAC SUPPORT
BEST ADI MicroScan 5EP 320x240 1280x1024
RUNNER-UP Orchestra Tuba-II 330x241 1600x1200
RUNNER-UP Megatron MegaImage 300x225 1280x1024 x
RUNNER-UP NSA Hitachi Super 17s 316x237 1280x1024 x
Key
Excellent ****
Good ***
Fair **
Poor *
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Do Your Eyes A Favor: 17-Inch Monitors
